My developments in New York are successful and, in many cases, have received architectural raves. Trump Tower, 610 Park Avenue, The Trump World Tower, Trump International Hotel and Tower (designed by Philip Johnson) and the renovations of the Plaza Hotel, 40 Wall Street and Grand Central Terminal, have all been praised not only by the critics but by the ultimate critic--their success! Have New Yorkers lost their chutzpah? The demise of the proposed Jets stadium on the Far West Side (and the attendant blow to the city's 2012 Olympic hopes), along with the politically induced inertia at the World Trade Center site, has led to speculation that the Big Apple is turning into a crab apple. So the Op-Ed Page approached several prominent New Yorkers with a question: If the city wants to start thinking big again, where should it start? Their suggestions follow. It is much easier to defeat something in New York City than to build something. With that in mind, we should consider whether we want the easy way out or if we can accept a challenge. New Yorkers have been known for their energy, their strength and, especially in the past few years, for their courage. Maybe we're just worn out after pulling together so well after Sept. 11, 2001. It's been a haul. So maybe we just want to sit back and let things take care of themselves -- elsewhere. The process in New York is very tough, and that's why I am building major projects in cities like Chicago, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Have you heard the term "contextual zoning" yet? It's a biggie in New York. So are the community boards, which like to make things close to impossible. I win many battles with community boards, but the project that is completed is never as good as what I started with. It gets beaten and battered by people who are often more interested in hearing themselves talk than in what is best for the city. The originality of the architecture gets taken away from me as a developer and artist, and from the city. I don't want to build buildings that have the same height and look as the buildings next door. Take the spires off the great old New York buildings and see what our skyline would look like -- not much! So, should we forget about being on the cutting edge? We can shrug our shoulders and say "C'est la vie" and maybe sip some cappuccino at an outdoor cafe. We can let the work be done elsewhere, and by other people, and for a change we can be the audience instead of the performers. Let's give other cities a chance; let's keep thinking small. Or, if we want to think big, let's just start thinking. Believe me, the answers for New York are not very complicated.